As a virtual facilitator it’s important to be flexible. It’s likely that the unexpected will happen. Whether it’s the connection is going down or time zone conversions haven’t been made correctly, things inside, and outside of our control as the conversation leader can happen.

 In today’s world we talk a lot about agility, a term which is becoming overused. When writing EVC last year I chose to use instead the term nimble. Being nimble as a virtual facilitator could mean:

1. Having a back up plan just in case the platform you were going to use is switched last minute
2. Being comfortable with change (as it will inevitably happen)
3. Being flexible to adjust the game plan depending on the needs of the group
4. Knowing your materials and having a big picture overview so you know what can be adjusted. If there were 2-3 things for people to take away from the call what would they be?

What are some other things that we can do to be nimble?
One of the most important things I find with my work is to really know my material (or the roadmap of elements), know the platform as much as I can, and be present for what the group wants. The more we can encourage engagement and interactivity the more it becomes the group’s/team’s call, which usually is a good thing.

Make a list of half a dozen things you can do to enhance your “nimble factor”.

Have  a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Today's Effective Virtual Conversation Tip is about preparation pre-virtual calls or conversations. "Winging it" is not advisable with the many "bells and whistles" you need to manage in the virtual space - from slides, to breakouts, to ensuring everyone can get on the line, to recording, you'll want to prepare and possibly practice, based on your skill and confidence level in facilitating webinars, teleclasses and other virtual events.

A few weeks ago, I hosted an Effective Virtual Conversation call (next one is today at 11 am ET) which was dedicated to "Preparing for Blast Off", the title of chapter 6  in my book, Effective Virtual Conversations. 

In any call there is logistical preparation, preparation of our selves and tactical preparation.

It's good practice to get in the habit of doing things consistently when you are leading virtual sessions, which might entail running through a series of checklists to make sure you have all the bases covered. Throughout Effective Virtual Conversations I provide you with multiple checklists, worksheets and templates, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Here's a list of 10 things you'll want to do each and every time  you are on tha call (modify for the platforms you are using) - Excerpt - Effective Virtual Conversations, page 219):

1. Have a list of your participants’ names (and contact details – phone and/or email).
2. Send out a reminder email about the call.
3. Know your material inside and out.
4. Have a back-up bridge line or system.
5. Make sure the recording is on.
6. Make sure you are on the line a few minutes early to troubleshoot with participants.
7. Make sure you start and end on time.
8. Review what you just did.
9. Ask group members to consider and/or share the main points of their learning and the takeaway/end result from the session.
10. Send out a follow-up email.
    

I hope that you'll take 5 -10 minutes today to note what you want to, or need to, have in place prior to your next session.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Creating a Team Charter
Copyright 2017 - Jennifer Britton

For decades we have known the power of a team charter or a team  having a set of shared agreements about what is acceptable, or unacceptable on the team. These are behavioral agreements around “how things are done around here”. Having an explicitly created set of team agreements can serve to avoid some of the more negative, and toxic behaviors which can emerge.

Increasingly research is pointing to the importance of team agreements  - take a look at Charles Duhigg’s article on Google’s high performing team experience, or refer to what Amy Edmonston refers to as psychological safety.

Time Required: 15 – 60 minutes

Materials needed – White board, breakouts and/or annotation

Who For? Newly forming teams, teams which are wanting to be even more exceptional, project teams, teams that are struggling

Instructions:
Teams which excel have a set of shared agreements around how they want to operate as a team. This is also seen as “What is acceptable and what is not acceptable in our team”. “It’s how we do things around here”. It’s “our values in action”

Get team members to first consider the question : What are the behaviors and agreements you want to have in place so that you can do your best work?”

Creating a team charter can be done in several ways –

As a large group where everyone suggests one item at a time, which is captured on a white board and then agreed upon OR

First team members meet in smaller breakouts to discuss what they see as agreements, which they then bring back and share with the larger team as individuals or breakout groups

Depending on the number of agreements generated, you may wan t to capture them first and then vote on which are the top ones for the team OR to create the most amount of buy-in, have team members share their proposed agreements and then individually agree upon them, and what they mean for everyday behaviors.

What is important in this dialogue is the discussion and agreement across the team. It is also important for the team to have discussion around what does each agreement look like “in action” or behaviorally. For example, if we agree to “start work on time” what does that look like? Does that mean you are in the office? Does it mean you are in the lunch room, in the office starting the day, or does it mean that you are on your computer ready to work when the work day starts.
With teams it is important to get “granular” and very detailed around what is, and what is not, acceptable on the team.
 

While assumptions are dangerous for most teams, they can be the "kiss of death" for virtual teams. Without the ability to see each other every day, structured communication touchpoints take on a new meaning. At the same token, there are a variety of layers of assumptions that can be made across a virtual team. Consider these different types of assumptions we may be making:
Assumptions about priorities - that my work is at a certain level of priority. How clear is the entire team about priorities.

Assumptions about how we like to work - when we can't see each other regularly we may start thinking that everyone likes to work the way we do. Consider your own style in terms of questions like:

• Are you a big picture person or details oriented.
  
• Do you like to get things done now, or think about things before getting them done.
• How does my work style vary with my colleagues?
  
• What adjustments do I need to make in order to work more effectively with others?
  

Cultural Assumptions - Throughout my entire career I have managed muti-national teams. Even for neighbouring countries like Canada and the  US (note the Canadian spelling of neighboring), a lack of understanding of the cultural nuances can mean success and failure. What are the cultural assumptions and biases you are bringing to the table? What assumptions are you making about other team members from other countries.  As much as we are influenced by our own culture, we also need to keep in mind that for many working on virtual teams, we may have worked in a number of different countries which has also influenced our own cultural norms. For example, don't think that because I am Canadian I'll always act a certain way, especially given that throughout the years I have worked for British companies, the UN and other global entities.

Generational Assumptions - There is much talk today about the different generational styles of the workforce - Boomers, GenXers, Millenials and Gen Z - and how we prefer to work and what we value. Where are assumptions getting in the way of looking at each individual as an individual.

For your own work, consider how assumptions are tempering your approach to virtual leadership and/or virtual facilitation. I go more in-depth to this topic in my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations.

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

It's Sunday and time for another video. This week I want to take us over to my sister site - EffectiveVirtualConversations.com. A few days ago  I posted a short video which brings one of our earlier blog posts this week to life - the Habits of Virtual Facilitators. You can view it here.

​If you are leading conference calls, or virtual teams, what are the habits, or things you do consistently to lead to successful and engaging calls every time?

Have a great Sunday,
​Jennifer 

This weekend's quote comes from Joe Paterno who wrote "When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality" .

The shift from individual contributor collective to a collaborative team is a shift. What is helping you with this shift? What is getting in the way? What is possible with your team effort?

This past week we've been looking at the realm of virtual facilitation. If you lead a virtual team, what is possible for team performance on your team? What will it take to shift from a collection of individuals into a team?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

It is Friday and time for a look back at some of our more than 1300 posts. In keeping aligned with this month's theme around virtual facilitation, I am taking us back to Teams365 post #566 - 7 Keys for Virtual Facilitation. As someone who has been involved in leading virtual calls and teams for several decades now, I continue to see waves of professionals adding virtual facilitation skills to their mix. For more than five years now we have been offering a Virtual Facilitation Train-the-Trainer. It's an areas I am offering more supports around, especially with the launch of my newest book, Effective Virtual Facilitation.

Whether you are just getting started, or are a "virtual pro" here are 7 things to keep in mind with virtual programming:

even Keys for Powerful Virtual Facilitation - Jennifer Britton

From Webinars, to virtual meetings  which bring together teams scattered across a country or the globe, virtual facilitation skills are increasingly becoming an important skill set for leaders and team members alike. Chances are you have recently participated as part of a virtual meeting that was less than optimal.

This article explores seven keys for powerful virtual meetings. These seven quick items used together can be very effective in amping up your next virtual event success.

1. Engagement is key - Helping group members connect regularly with the WIIFM (What's in it for me) and engaging them in the dialogue is almost more important than it is in the in-person realm.  Competition with emails and your desktop is often the reality. Keep pace moving, encourage reflection and dialogue and take the pulse regularly to see where people are at.

2. Connection is the foundation - While you might not be able to see each other feeling connected with others is an important foundation for virtual meeting success, particularly if these meetings will continue for some time.

3. Trust is Critical- Just as in the in-person environment, trust is critical. Given that we don't have the regular touchpoints where we can be "seen" building trust in the virtual environment can be even more pointed. Consider how you are building your reputation and ask what others think of you.

4. Good Design - Good design is especially important in the virtual domain. Consider what the overall blocks of the meeting or event are and how they fit together or are sequenced. More focus on process rater than less can be of benefit in the virtual domain. What are the design elements which will support the most effective virtual event? Consider  breakouts, polls, use of a whiteboards, keeping it simple if technology is going to be a hindrance.

5 - Leverage technology  - Use the technology you have available and which is accessible to all. I often go to the "lowest common denominator" so we are not creating any new divisions based on technology available. If you can use more interactive supports such as breakouts to engage everyone, use them. Consider what support will help you - for example, have a co-facilitator who can set up breakouts while you are facilitating. Don't try to do it all alone!

6 - Visuals are an important boost - Having a virtual anchor point, even on a phone call is important in the virtual realm. visuals can create a focus, and grounding point. If you are only meeting by phone consider sending out a one-pager prior to the call  for meeting participants to download, print and use. Make sure they are  provided this well enough n advance of the call.

7 - Be nimble as a facilitator - Being flexible as a facilitator in the virtual realm is essential. Expect technology to happen because it will. Have a number of "back ups" available which you can draw upon. Think through the various scenarios which may happen and how you will deal with them.

What other tips would you suggest to others who are starting out with virtual facilitator? Please feel free to comment below.

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Many professionals today operate in both the in-person and virtual worlds, bouncing back and forth between both virtual and in-person conversations.

While the conversations are not that different, the mediums are, and cultivating a number of habits to support more effective virtual conversations can help us in the long term. Just as we have developed certain ways of working in the in-person realm, there are several things we can do to make our work in the virtual space even easier, especially around setting everyone up for success with virtual conversations.

In chapter 6 of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations I share the following habits to cultivate (pp 223):

• Calling on people by name
  
• Reviewing feedback received and making tweaks every time you lead a program
• Doing a walk-through of the day/session/flow, even if you have run the program before
• Visualizing the roadmap of your call - noting the start, end and key points you want to reinforce
• Checking that your recording is really working
• Getting on the line at least 10 minutes in advance
• Using a blend of media, even those you aren't comfortable with

Habits are things we do consistently and starting to orient our schedule and attention around these areas can support us in easing into our virtual calls. What are the habits and regular practices you want to create so that you can lead engaging and impactful conversations every time?

Tomorrow we will turn our attention to habits to avoid.

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

It's Monday at time for our 12th tip from my new book Effective Virtual Conversations.

As a Grade 9 student I had to take Latin for one year. I was fascinated by learning the roots of so many English words (and that of other languages as well). I still usually take a moment to look at the roots of words I use regularly to see what the origins were.

Today's post connects us with three words we use regularly in the virtual facilitation world - Facilitation, Convene and Dialogue.

Facilitation comes from the Latin "To make easy". As a facilitator, what are you doing to make things easy for the groups and teams you are working with?  consider how you are making processes easier, teamwork easier, decisions easier.

Convene is another word many of us find ourselves connecting with. Whether our role is involving one of convening, or whether the event is seen and described as convening rather than facilitating,  it has an interesting root. To convene means "to assemble with others to create". It may be interesting to share this definition with those that you are working with if you do convene.

Finally, I wanted to look at the roots of the word, "Dialogue". It translates roughly to "Through others". In engaging virtual conversations it's always important to consider how we are setting up a dialogue rather than a monologue. How does your work magnify through others?

As you consider your work, what other words might be interesting to define and share with those you are in conversation with?

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

This week''s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip #11 is about the importance of boosting the trust, connection and safety needed in virtual conversations so that they can go to the level needed. Without the required trust, safety and connection it is likely that virtual calls will suffer from disengagement and multi-tasking on the part of attendees/participants.

In recent months as I have started speaking on my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, I've been asking groups the question "What do you do to boost trust, connection and safety in your virtual calls"? It's been interesting to hear the range of responses around these three areas. Some of the common approaches mentioned include:

Trust:
Be clear on expectations
Walk my talk
Create Safety
Trust begets trust

Creating connection:
Introductions
A fun warm-up
Pairing people for introductions

Create Safety:
Work with the group to create their own agreements
Confidentiality
follow-through
Connection with others
Knowing where we are going on the call

In Chapter 2 of Effective Virtual Conversations I cover many different ways to build trust, connection and safety in virtual events. What do you notice about how people engage and interact when these factors are present? When they are not?

For more about the research base around this topic you will want to refer to the work of Amy Edmonston, author of Teaming, as well as refer to the research Google has done into their most high performing teams. Common ingredient - safety on the part of teams.

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer